This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Here are some hot deals on laptops

So you’ve decided to go with a desktop, laptop, netbook or tablet. Now what? Here are are a few good bang-for-your-buck picks for each form factor.

Desktop

HP’s TouchSmart 600 ($1,349.99; hp.ca) is an “all-in-one” Windows 7 computer with integrated 23-inch touch-enabled display, Core i5 processor and 4GB of system memory. Use your fingertip or the wireless mouse and keyboard to boot up some fun, too, as this desktop PC features a slot-loading DVD player, 1-Terabyte hard drive, built-in TV tuner and Beats Audio Studio sound.

Laptop

Ideal for work or play, the newly redesigned Dell Inspiron 14R (from $649; dell.ca) is a 14-inch LED laptop powered by an Intel Core i3 processor (with 3GB of system memory), 320GB hard drive and dual-layer DVD burner (supporting 8.5GB discs). The 6-cell battery lasts more than 5 hours between charges. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and webcam are also included.

Article Continued Below

Netbook

If you’re looking for something more portable and affordable, Toshiba’s NB300 ($429) rocks an 11-hour battery, shock-proof 250GB hard drive and Intel Atom N455 (1.66 GHz) processor. Available in scarlet red, mocha brown or indigo blue, this Windows 7 Starter-powered PC also includes a “sleep and charge” USB port to charge up gadgets while the netbooks is off.

Tablet

Well, the Apple iPad (from $549 for 16GB; apple.ca) is the only game in town, but it’s a heck of a pick. Apple’s trendy tablet is lightweight, long-lasting and turns on instantly. The nearly 10-inch screen is ideal for consuming media (e-books, video, games), surfing the web and for productivity applications, too, as long as you can get used to the virtual keyboard (though there are hardware keyboard options).

Delivered dailyThe Morning Headlines Newsletter

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com